Khalifman books (1rst edition) are superb. A lot of work (huge work), but the explanations you have in some lines are fantastic. Like if a top-GM would be next to you explaining why in the stonewall it's better to develop a bishop to f4 or not, etc...

If you play 1.Nf3 you have to ask yourself if you want to enter in pure Reti positions (not playing d4 in the first moves) or want to play the d4-d5 complex (catalan or/and queen's gambit). 

Two good sorces are: in the Reti, they are interesting ideas in Alejandro Ramirez dvd (he is not covering 1.Nf3 c5, and this is a pitty). In the Nf3+d4, I like the latest Burgess work (his cunning repertoire).

To get all the profits and power of 1.Nf3 you would know to play a lot of different type of positions. When it's OK to enter in the catalan because the schemas used by Black are not good to face it, or to make your move order a little to get your opponent out of their pet defence and play the Reti or double fianchetto English, etc.... I think if you play mecanically and not having in mind all the transposition-power of move-orders, playing 1.Nf3 2.d4 no matter what... maybe will be better to play directly 1.c4 o 1.d4.

Salut,

nestor wrote on 06/23/14 at 07:31:44:


Ok, wasn't sure about this. Now I remember, the idea was to play 1. d4 2. Nf3 and wait with c4 until Black plays ...d5, not to start with 1. Nf3.

fling wrote on 06/23/14 at 04:59:01:


Burgess's repertoire starts with 1.d4. You could reach most of his lines from 1.Nf3 but he doesn't cover 1.Nf3 c5.

TonyRo wrote on 06/22/14 at 14:30:27:


Me too. I bought the book but didn't like it very much ...

I'm with Tony on this one.

There's also The Modern Reti. An Anti-Slav Repertoire
by Alexander Delchev. I can't tell whether it's good, though.

Thank you all for your answers.

The blog was particularly helpful.

I had a look on the 3 volumes of Wojo's Weapons, they looked good, and the Catalan looks interesting, so I might give it a try.


But there's one thing I didn't understand about the Opening for White according to Kramnik series... I saw someone saying that the new edition of this series was planning to feature 10 volumes, but that there was maybe a problem and it stopped midway after only 5 volumes... Is this true? And will they remake a new edition with 10 volumes in the future? Because I don't want to buy 5 volumes if it is preferable to wait for a new and better edition to come..


And thank you BPaulsen for your reply. Getting a reply directly from the book's author, now that's cool. I will buy your book next december for Christmas holidays if it's ready then.